For the first time, the Municipal Commissioner will be the Presiding Authority for the election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), following the amendment in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (Conduct of Election to the office of Mayor and Deputy Mayor) Rules. Following the BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde)’s newly-elected corporators' registration with the Konkan Commissioner, the mayoral election is expected to be held later this week or in the first week of February.
Special Meeting Process Explained
“Following the government resolution (GR), BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani will hold the election of the mayor and deputy mayor, in a special meeting of newly-elected corporators in BMC House. The political party will submit their nomination for mayor and deputy mayor, after which the corporators' votes will be counted by a show of hands. The commissioner will be the final authority to count total votes, if there is any cross voting etc, and announce the elected mayor and deputy mayor,” said a senior BMC officer.
Departure From Past Practice
“Usually, it is one of the corporators appointed as the Presiding Authority. However, now it will be the municipal commissioner,” the officer added. The GR was issued after a notification by the state urban development department (UDD), after consultation with the state election commissioner.
Government Resolution Details
As per the GR issued by the state urban development department (UDD) on January 23, “BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani has been appointed as the Presiding Officer and shall conduct the process of election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of BMC.” The GR came after a notification by UDD on January 22, which said, “For rule 5 (Presiding Authority) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (Conduct of Election to the office of Mayor and Deputy Mayor) Rules:-The special meeting to elect the Mayor or the Deputy Mayor shall be presided over by an officer not below the rank of Principal Secretary to Government, appointed by the State Government by an Order. In rule 8, the word “excepting that the newly elected Mayor shall be preceding authority for the election to the post of Deputy Mayor” shall be deleted,” the notification says.
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BJP Yet To Announce Mayor
More than 10 days after the BMC election concluded, Mumbai is still awaiting its new mayor. The BJP, which emerged as the largest party, will most likely install its mayor; however, the party is yet to officially announce the candidate. The reservation lottery held last week determined that the Mayor of Mumbai’s post is reserved for the General (Women) category. Since then, senior BJP corporators like deputy mayor Alka Kerkar and three-time corporator Rajashree Shirwadkar, whose husband Rajesh Shirwadkar is general secretary of Mumbai BJP, have emerged as the top contenders.
The last mayor of Mumbai was Kishori Pednekar from Shiv Sena (UBT), whose term ended in 2022. The Sena UBT will sit in the opposition this time.
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